10 Worst Songs Of The 80s

[djcraig]

The suggestion that because a song is recorded by an artist that didn't write it, it's likely to result in dreck is simply nonsense (see examples above). If that were true you'd have to throw out countless "classic" songs, including the Sinatra and Elvis catalogues as well as everything by many now revered Swing composers.

Then there's "The Lady In Red", written [b]AND[/b] performed by Chris DeBurg. Perhaps if DeBurg had instead chosen a song someone ELSE had written we wouldn't now be stuck with this piece of crap eminating from every elevator, dentist office, easy listening radio station and lame wedding in the Western world.

No doubt The Bangles could put out some schmaltz. Back in the 80s, everybody made some bad decisions.

[SallyLightfoot]

@djcraig
Yes, you have rephrased your post from 08:16:55, which I did read.

Editing my previous post:

"[b]In the case of the bangles[/b]... [i]their[/i] suckitude... may be correlated to the outsourcing of [i]their[/i] craft to hired-guns. [i]No, there's nothing new about this[/i]..."
(emphasis added)

The use of professional tune-smiths has been around since somebody first banged two rocks together. It never occurred to me to argue this because the practice does not (necessarily) lead to shitty songs or crappy performers. The decision to outsource is probably for the best because the artist either has little or no songwriting talent or because the artist has hit a creative slump/dead-end. In that case the original material would have the unfortunate distinction of being both artistically <a>and</a> commercially unsuccessful.

I think The Bangles ultimately stink as artists (maybe their talent as performers more than makes up for this), and their decline tracks roughly in line with the demise of their songwriting. Paradoxically, their commercial success soared during this same period. That is what interested me, not the fact that they (and other artists) rely heavily on professional songwriters, studio musicians, auto-tuning, or lift entire choruses/verses from samples, etc. which is completely commonplace.

[Frank_Chickens]

Little known fact: The Belle Stars had first dibs on 'Walk Like An Egyptian' but never recorded it.

[i_like_lectric_motors]

[quote][i]Originally posted by Frank_Chickens[/i]
<br>Little known fact: The Belle Stars had first dibs on 'Walk Like An Egyptian' but never recorded it.
[/quote]

According to wikipedia, it was also offered to Toni Basil. Even she had the good sense to turn it down.

[InvisibleMan]

some of the songs listed above were just fun and sugary dance/pop songs.. Jermaine Stewart, Stacey Q, Lisa Lisa... nothing wrong with that in moderation.

[SallyLightfoot]

♫ Ain't nothin' gonna break my stride
♫ Ain't nobody gonna slow me down
♫ Oh no, I gots ta keep on moovin'

[InvisibleMan]

[quote][i]Originally posted by SallyLightfoot[/i]
<br>#9835; Ain't nothin' gonna break my stride
#9835; Ain't nobody gonna slow me down
#9835; Oh no, I gots ta keep on moovin'
[/quote]

we could dance and party all night, and drink some cherry wine, uh huh na na na na na [:D]

[oldnewwaver]

the Bangles started out great as part of the paisley underground movement in LA and loved their EP and All Over the Place record.
Different Light was a radical change in their sound and they were more cross over and the song choices were geared more for Top 40. I think they tried to fill a void that was left when the Go-Gos broke up around 1984 or so.

[SallyLightfoot]

[quote][i]Originally posted by oldnewwaver[/i]
<br>the Bangles started out great as part of the paisley underground movement in LA and loved their EP and All Over the Place record.
Different Light was a radical change in their sound and they were more cross over and the song choices were geared more for Top 40. I think they tried to fill a void that was left when the Go-Gos broke up around 1984 or so.
[/quote]Agreed, and that seems like a good assessment of their shift to the mainstream.

[djcraig]

[quote][i]Originally posted by i_like_lectric_motors[/i]
<br>[quote][i]Originally posted by Frank_Chickens[/i]
<br>Little known fact: The Belle Stars had first dibs on 'Walk Like An Egyptian' but never recorded it.
[/quote]

According to wikipedia, it was also offered to Toni Basil. Even she had the good sense to turn it down.
[/quote]
Perhaps she didn't want to do anything to compete with the legacy of having already recorded another worst song of the 80s...

[Frank_Chickens]

[quote][i]Originally posted by i_like_lectric_motors[/i]
<br>[quote][i]Originally posted by Frank_Chickens[/i]
<br>Little known fact: The Belle Stars had first dibs on 'Walk Like An Egyptian' but never recorded it.
[/quote]

According to wikipedia, it was also offered to Toni Basil. Even she had the good sense to turn it down.
[/quote]

Also offered to Lene Lovich as well.

[SallyLightfoot]

[quote][i]Originally posted by djcraig[/i]
<br>[quote][i]Originally posted by i_like_lectric_motors[/i]
<br>[quote][i]Originally posted by Frank_Chickens[/i]
<br>Little known fact: The Belle Stars had first dibs on 'Walk Like An Egyptian' but never recorded it.
[/quote]According to wikipedia, it was also offered to Toni Basil. Even she had the good sense to turn it down.
[/quote] Perhaps she didn't want to do anything to compete with the legacy of having already recorded another worst song of the 80s...
[/quote] Evidently this same mark of distinction wasn't enough to deter The Bangles from having a go at it!

[TragicMagic]

[quote][i]Originally posted by SallyLightfoot[/i]
<br>[quote][i]Originally posted by djcraig[/i]
<br>[quote][i]Originally posted by i_like_lectric_motors[/i]
<br>[quote][i]Originally posted by Frank_Chickens[/i]
<br>Little known fact: The Belle Stars had first dibs on 'Walk Like An Egyptian' but never recorded it.
[/quote]According to wikipedia, it was also offered to Toni Basil. Even she had the good sense to turn it down.
[/quote] Perhaps she didn't want to do anything to compete with the legacy of having already recorded another worst song of the 80s...
[/quote] Evidently this same mark of distinction wasn't enough to deter The Bangles from having a go at it!
[/quote]

As fully-fucked and annoying as the song is - it's sure to have made them a lot of money?

[djcraig]

[quote][i]Originally posted by SallyLightfoot[/i]
<br>[quote][i]Originally posted by djcraig[/i]
<br>[quote][i]Originally posted by i_like_lectric_motors[/i]
<br>[quote][i]Originally posted by Frank_Chickens[/i]
<br>Little known fact: The Belle Stars had first dibs on 'Walk Like An Egyptian' but never recorded it.
[/quote]According to wikipedia, it was also offered to Toni Basil. Even she had the good sense to turn it down.
[/quote] Perhaps she didn't want to do anything to compete with the legacy of having already recorded another worst song of the 80s...
[/quote] Evidently this same mark of distinction wasn't enough to deter The Bangles from having a go at it!
[/quote]

They had to make their mark somehow. Their own songs just weren't crappy enough!

I think most of the general public has fond memories of it (no accounting for taste). I can take it or leave it, there were worse crimes against music committed in the 80s.

"Always Something There To Remind Me" by Naked Eyes comes to mind. Band with a stupid name and less depth than a potato chip covering Burt Bacharach, jeez. Not that any of their other output was any better as evidenced by the craptastic "Promises, Promises" and Pete Byrne's performance on Stevie Wonder's "Part-Time Lover" (gag!)

[oldnewwaver]

this song is pretty bad as well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xSaaJYTKNY